What is your motivation? (Why are you a Photographer)

What is your motivation? What makes you get out of bed in the mornings to get that perfect shot, what makes you bring your expensive camera gear out into the world, what is it that make you venture out to find that perfect shot even though it requires a 2 hour walk?

Is it to pay your bills, for the end result, for the cameras or is it a way to express yourself?

Let us know why you are a photographer!

I actually have no reason why. hahah. I really like to capture people and tell there story.

I don't shoot sunsets, way over done. I go to work everyday as a photographer to give my life a platform to which everything else is possible and most important in that is my personal work.

I think it's just fun to hear the shutter snapping haha. All kidding aside I think it is just because it is fun and gives me joy. I love to shoot anything and my subjects sometimes think it is funny that I will literly shoot them doing anything.

Changed it to shot, which I meant.

I honestly don't know right now, havent had an urge to shoot for a while. Which is kind off why I started this thread. To find some reason to go outside. I have hardly left home in two weeks.

What used to bring me outside was to try and tell a story. I love to watch photos and to think and analyze the people in them. I love to stick my nose into other peoples business with a camera, I have found that the camera really helps to get you closer. And being close to other people allows me to think less about the things which trouble me and instead focus on the things which I gain pleasure from.

/Felix

I like to get pissed off by dust particles on the viewfinder

For me it's a nice distraction from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I love spending time alone, just me and my camera. It gets me out and closer to nature which I love. And it's very satisfying to come home and review all of the photos whether good or bad. Some days I love just sitting around looking at pictures I've taken and remembering the day they were taken. For me a great hobby.

Its an excuse to belong to a new forum -- the xbox assh*#$s banned me last year.

Very cool topic
For me, I guess their are several reasons and motivations. First and foremost....It's something I love to do....but it's far more than that. Photography is something I love to do for other people. Photography is my full time job and source of income. I love creating photographs for other people, always striving to provide them with a unique product that exceeds their expectations.
I love the learning process....the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. Once the technical side is understood, there is a never ending experimentation/learni​ng process involved.
I embrace (as well as struggle with) the subjective aspect of photography.....I guess my ultimate goal would be to create a great photograph and be able to know it's great without getting the opinions of others. I'm not even sure this is possible. Any art form is so subjective that one persons awesome is another persons awful.
If I had to boil it down, I guess it would be the overall daily challenge that photography presents. Anyone can take a photo but the challenge to create a photograph that stands out above the rest is an awesome endeavour to embark upon.

Hobby. And, for my son, for whom the pictures will someday mean more to him than he can imagine.

I wish I had more from my youth, parents, events.

Photos evoke memories like nothing else can.

Pays my bills and its someting I love to do. What a great way to live. My friends and clients love to see me get excited while im working. Actually hard to believe that I can make so much money for something that brings so much fun and joy in my life. I have to pinch myself at times and I thank God every chance I get for allowing me to live this way.

It goes hand in hand with exploring for me. I love to drive around and look for bits of history, seeing what's over the hill syndrome, I like to call it. Couple that with a camera and it's become quite a passion for me. It consumes most of the my time.

I like to take pictures since I was teenager (thirty years ago).
It is just big pleasure for me and it is also very interesting to learn something new every day.
Some people using my pictures, some people commenting then as good ones.
I'm happy about it, but my biggest motivation is in photography on itself.

It pays me. I use my 7D for more video than stills anymore.

S.Horton wrote in post #12014189
Hobby. And, for my son, for whom the pictures will someday mean more to him than he can imagine.

I wish I had more from my youth, parents, events.

Photos evoke memories like nothing else can.

well said